No image on this one, because I don’t want to spoil the impact.

Hidden Gems #2
Date: 1989

So when I originally put this on the schedule, it was entirely for the sake of the AWA Team Challenge show which got….interesting reviews, shall we say for reasons of general insanity. Since I started doing the rest of the years though, I might as well do the entire year, which is quite the eclectic collection this time around. Let’s get to it.

For the sake of simplicity, I’ll do these in order from the date they aired, starting with the earliest.

From February 23, 1989 in Florida.

Gordon Solie and Diamond Dallas Page (back when he was a heel commentator with some big hair) are with Oliver Humperdink (a heel manager) at the announcers’ desk with Oliver not being happy about Dusty Rhodes. Lately Dusty has brought out his son Dustin, who needs to be taken care of. Therefore, Humperdink is calling in Terry Funk to eradicate Dustin so Dusty will give up. Terry isn’t here yet, but he’s sent in a video for our visual enjoyment.

Funk, standing in front of a big wooden cutout labeled Dusty, has a new word for us. The word is a Dusty, which is a 150lb frame, with 50lbs of added fat, 50lbs of added obesity and 50lbs of added hot air, giving you a 300lb blob. Terry whips out a chainsaw and cuts off the wooden arms and head before hacking away the painted on heart. That leaves you with a heartless jackass, and if you breed that with a thick tongued barmaid, you get a Dustin, who is too stupid to say no, he won’t get in the ring with Terry Funk. Well, that was absolutely terrifying and we’ll move on as fast as possible.

From a WWA show promoted by the AWA. Note that this is VERY late in the match with about nine minutes shown of a match that ran thirty. It was also broadcast in Japan, as you can hear the Japanese commentary under the English commentary. Also of note: former World Champion Pat O’Connor is guest referee.

Rock N Roll Express vs. British Bulldogs
Date: February 23, 1989
Location: Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Missouri
Attendance: 300
Commentators: Ray Stevens, Greg Gagne

Joined in progress with Dynamite Kid dropping a knee onto Ricky Morton’s back and slapping on an armbar. Bulldog comes in for an armbar of his own as there are more empty seats than filled ones. Morton gets thrown outside as we hit the 25 minute mark. With the fans looking bored out of their minds, Greg talks about them being up for the entire match. I know they can see the match, so why like about something that is clearly wrong? I’ve never gotten that.

It’s back to Bulldog, who misses a top rope knee but still breaks up the hot tag attempt. Morton finally rolls over for the hot tag to Robert Gibson and everything breaks down. Gibson gets one off the slowest one count ever off a backdrop and then suplexes Dynamite with two minutes left. It’s back to Ricky for two off a piledriver, followed by the double dropkick for another slow two. A small package gets the same and we have thirty seconds. Smith and Gibson both try dropkicks and it’s back to Dynamite for an exchange of small packages as the time limit expires at 7:14 shown.

Rating: D. It’s really not fair to rate the last fifth or so of a match but what we got wasn’t all that great. The wrestling wasn’t anything to see but then again these teams were WAY passed their primes by this point anyway. I certainly don’t think I’d want to see the full version, but it’s certainly fine for an historical curiosity if nothing else.

Post match Badd Company, the Tag Team Champions, say they’re ready to face any team. They’re particularly ready to face Ricky Rice and Derrick Dukes (the Top Guns), who must be dreaming if they think they’re getting the titles. Ok then.

From May 13, 1989 in Sarasota, Florida in the PWF (Professional Wrestling Federation), Dusty Rhodes’ promotion. As you can probably guess by the name of Dusty’s opponent, it didn’t even make it a year.

PWF World Title: Dusty Rhodes vs. Big Steele Man
Date: May 13, 1989
Location: Robarts Arena, Sarasota, Florida
Commentator: Gordon Solie

In a cage with Dusty defending and that would be Tugboat/Typhoon/Shockmaster. Makes sense as they’re brothers-in-law, along with Jerry Sags (there’s your trivia for the day). This is in a cage and joined in progress again with Dusty going after Man’s manager, Oliver Humperdink (hey it’s a theme collection). Man hammers away in the corner but Dusty gets in the ten right hands to take over again. The Bionic Elbow keeps Man in trouble and he gets sent head first into the cage as the blood is flowing.

Man gets smart enough to grab a bearhug but Dusty hiptosses his way to freedom, only to miss the big elbow. A right hand knocks Dusty into the referee and of course Dusty hits the big elbow a few seconds later. Humperdink comes in (because the cage door is worthless) but gets punched back. Dusty hits a suplex but Diamond Dallas Page, Steel’s other manager, throws in a towel. Apparently it’s covered in something to knock Dusty out, meaning….well nothing actually as we’re clipped to a still of Man holding up the title at about 4:20.

Rating: D-. I’ve seen a full show from these guys before and the regular thing wasn’t that much better. This was slow and plodding and little more than a way for Dusty to have a foil, even though both of them would be in the WWF in about two months. That being said, what else were you expecting from Dusty vs. Tugboat in a serious match?

And now, for the reason I wanted to watch this in the first place.

Team Challenge Series Pilot
Date: October 23, 1989
Commentators: Ralph Strangis, Greg Gagne

So back in the late 1980s, the AWA was, uh, bad. Like, really bad. Their answer was this big series of gimmick matches with a big scoring system and the entire roster split up into three teams. This was called the Team Challenge Series and what we have here is described as an unreleased home video pilot special. I’m sure this will be FASCINATING. Let’s get to it.

We open with a montage, featuring cheerleaders in very 80s bikinis chanting YAY YAY YAY FOR THE AWA, plus the American flag, a concert and wrestling. I guess this is Verne Gagne’s idea of patriotism?

Verne, with his dog, introduces the concept. He’s so excited about this concept with new technology (remember that) that he might come out of retirement one more time. I mean, would that really surprise anyone?

Our hosts and commentators, Ralph Strangis and Greg Gagne promise us some great new stuff over the next sixty minutes. The video is less than forty, making me think that either this company can’t count or something has been edited. Guess which I’m leaning towards. Greg says we’ll be able to feel the armdrags and dropkicks. Well his partner had a great dropkick so I’ll take what I can get.

Tommy Jammer vs. Tom Burton

Let me stop you right here. See, around this time the AWA wasn’t doing well with drawing audiences. That would be the case here, so this is how they solved the problem. An example of the entrances:

Now, in case that’s not enough for you, there are no fans in the “arena”, which appears to be a small, dimly lit room. Not that you can tell how big it is, when the lights go as far as where the first row would be. Now, to compensate for the lack of the fans, we do get some extreme closeups of some random people, presumably watching anything but this show. And now, the match.

http://network.wwe.com/video/v2518758883

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: November 29, 2018
Commentators: Don Callis, Josh Matthews

We’re getting closer and closer to Homecoming and that could mean some interesting build as the final few weeks remain. Considering the last two episodes of the year are going to be Best Of shows, there’s only so much time remaining to really make things going. Hopefully the company figures that out and starts pushing things. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

The opening recap looks at a little bit of everything around here, which is something that they do very well. It makes extra sense after last week’s nothing show too.

Opening sequence.

Willie Mack/Rich Swann vs. Lucha Bros

Swann and Fenix start things off and go with some grappling, only to have the flip into a standoff. Fenix flips across the ring but Swann flips over him for the second standoff in a row. With nothing having happened, we’ll go off to Mack vs. Pentagon for some Lucha Underground flavor. Pentagon throws up CERO MIEDO but Mack gets in his face too. We finally get to some offense as they slug it out but a four way knockdown ensues without much effort.

Mack kicks Pentagon in the face again and snaps off a hurricanrana. A Samoan drop into the standing moonsault set up Swann’s middle rope 450 but Fenix is right back with a double Lethal Injection. Pentagon follows that up with a pair of Sling Blades and it’s the What’s Up Double stomp to Swann, which still looks painful. Swann is fine enough to break up Fenix’s springboard, leaving Mack to Pounce Pentagon to the floor. The running flip dive has Pentagon in more trouble but it’s time for Swann and Fenix to hit their own dives.

Back from a break with Mack chopping Fenix down and then for a change, Mack chops Fenix down. Fenix goes with a spinning kick to the face but Swann breaks up something off the top. Pentagon isn’t having that though as it’s the spike Fear Factor onto the apron to crush Swann. Back in and a springboard headbutt sets up the wheelbarrow flip splash to finish Mack at 15:41.

Post match here’s LAX minus Konnan to congratulate the Lucha Bros on the win. They’ve already beaten the best teams in the world, but now they want the Lucha Bros. The match is set for Homecoming.

Next week: qualifying matches for Ultimate X at Homecoming.

Video on Brian Cage, who is ready to finally get his chance to be on top.

LAX comes in to see Konnan, who isn’t cool with them making that announcement. He’s worried about the personal issues that have flared up in the past when we try to have dream matches. Konnan has to do something now and leaves.

Katarina vs. Jordynne Grace

They grapple a bit to start with the much bigger Grace winning the power battle. The whip spinebuster gets two but it’s too early for the bearhug. Katarina gets in some shots in the corner and puts on the reverse chinlock to little avail. The fireman’s carry just isn’t happening so Katarina switches to the top rope DDT for two. A heck of a Pounce sends Katarina flying and hits some running knees in the corner. There’s a Vader Bomb and the bearhug makes Katarina tap at 6:10.

Rating: D+. This could have been worse but, again, they don’t seem eager to push Grace as the unstoppable monster that she could be. She’s a different kind of talent but for some reason they won’t let her just go crazy out there. It’s not like Katarina has much going or her, so just let her get beaten up like a ragdoll out there.

KM and Fallah Bahh have lost their money gambling because they’re not all that bright. Scarlett Bordeaux shows up and says a lot of people are trying to get her attention.

Classic Moment of the Week: Low Ki wins Ultimate X last August.

Video on Tessa Blanchard vs. Taya Valkyrie.

A referee comes in to see Tessa and tells her that she can’t beat up referees. Yeah whatever.

Tommy Dreamer, now in a Superstar Billy Graham shirt because he hasn’t paid homage to enough legends yet, talks about how Eli Drake is everything he hates about people today. Drake is an entitled millennial you see and tries to be the Rock and Steve Austin. Yes TOMMY DREAMER just said someone is trying to be someone else. Drake lost the title and has just been mediocre since then and he’s not ending Dreamer’s career. Dreamer is done when he says he is.

Taya Valkyrie vs. Rae Lyn

Rae ducks behind her and dances to start so Taya hits a forearm in the corner. That earns her a middle rope dropkick to give Rae two but Taya is right back with the running hip attack in the corner. Rae slips out of the Road to Valhalla and dances some more, earning herself a curb stomp and a modified STF for the tap at 2:45. Good idea to add a new move to her arsenal as she can only ride the Road to Valhalla for so long.

Post match Tessa runs in and beats Taya down. The referee from earlier comes in for the save and gets punched in the face. More referees come in and get beaten up….so GAIL KIM makes the save, because OF COURSE SHE FREAKING DOES!

Video on Johnny Impact being ready to defend the title against anyone, including Cage.

Killer Kross again offers his assistance to Impact but gets turned down. That’s not cool with Kross.

Rascalz vs. Chris Bey/Mike Sydal

The Rascalz are a trio with Trey Miguel, Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz with Miguel sitting out this time. Dezmond headlocks Sydal to start and flips away from some early shots to the ribs. Sydal has no idea where Dezmond is and it’s off to Wentz for some yelling. Bey comes in and gets yelled at, followed by a Bronco Buster.

Some rapid fire kicks and a double stomp have Sydal in more trouble and there are the stereo suicide dives, which you had to know were coming. Back in and some kicks put Sydal down before Wentz does a standing moonsault….from about a foot away from Sydal’s feet. Not that it matters as Xavier shoves him over so the moonsault hits the chest for the pin at 3:09. That’s certainly a unique finisher and it looked rather cool.

Rating: C. This was a good looking debut for the Rascalz, who had some great chemistry and some sweet offense. You can always have room for another high flying team like this, especially when they’re a little bit different than the Lucha Bros or LAX. Throw in the option of Miguel for a little change of pace later on and you have a good act here.

Kiera Hogan doesn’t believe that Allie is fully evil because Allie didn’t attack her when she had the chance. Allie can fight this.

We look back at Alisha having Eddie committed. Shouldn’t that have come first?

Eli Drake says his issues aren’t with hardcore wrestling. Apparently he touched a nerve in Tommy Dreamer and tonight, Dreamer is going to the retirement home.

Matt Sydal talks to Ethan Page about how his path to success keeps messing up. Page tries to calm him down but Sydal wants to show him the path to the X-Division Title. Next week: they’ll meet in an Ultimate X qualifying match.

Eli Drake vs. Tommy Dreamer

Anyway we’re back with Dreamer spitting water in Drake’s face on the stage. Dreamer grabs the trashcan full of weapons and hits him with a box of donuts, of course stopping for a bite. Drake gets drenched with some water, which only seems to wake him up as he suplexed Dreamer onto the ramp. A catapult sends Dreamer’s throat first into the bottom rope and a jumping neckbreaker gets two. The chair is set up for the drop toehold for two on Dreamer so Drake picks the chair up.

A middle rope chair shot is blocked by a raised boot but the Dreamer DDT is countered with a leg trip to send Dreamer into the chair again. The DDT connects for two a few seconds later but Drake hits him low and nails the Gravy Train….for two? Egads man why is Tommy Dreamer kicking out of a former World Champion’s finisher? With nothing else working, Drake puts a chair around Dreamer’s neck and hits the chair with an oar for the pin at 12:04.

Rating: D-. I’ve complained about Tommy Dreamer wrestling at this level and with the same stories over and over again so we’ll look at Drake here. I still find him to be one of the best and most talented people on the entire roster and he should be doing something other than this. Hopefully he gets to beat Abyss at Homecoming and move on to something more important and better, rather than beating up Dreamer in main events.

Post match Drake goes to the back and finds a present addressed to him. He opens the card and finds a message which freaks him out to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The show was entertaining enough and the strong opener balanced out the dreadful main event. They’re getting closer to having a solid pay per view card, though again the main event scene isn’t the most thrilling in the world. It often comes off as an afterthought and that gets a little annoying over time. These videos don’t do much and the lack of any kind of personal issue doesn’t help either. The rest of the show is looking fine, but it’s missing that spark. Anyway, fine show this week, but nothing really worth seeing.

Results

Lucha Bros b. Rich Swann/Willie Mack – Wheelbarrow splash to Mack

Jordynne Grace b. Katarina – Bearhug

Taya Valkyrie b. Rae Lyn – STF

Rascalz b. Mike Sydal/Chris Bey – Standing moonsault to Sydal

Eli Drake b. Tommy Dreamer – Drake wrapped a chair around Dreamer’s neck and hit it with an oar

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: November 29, 2018
Location: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

I’m not going to bother wasting your time with blind hope this time. Raw was terrible this week and Smackdown was a little bit better. Hopefully they flood this show with Smackdown highlights because otherwise they’ll manage to make it even worse than it was on Monday. Ok maybe not that bad but still terrible. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Titus O’Neil vs. Mojo Rawley

They fight over a lockup to start with neither being able to get very far. A shoulder drops Rawley and Titus hits some chops in the corner to keep him in trouble. Rawley is right back with shoulders of his own and it’s off to the chinlock. Some chops set up some posing which sets up another chinlock, because two of them are needed in a short match. Titus fights up and hits some clotheslines, followed by a big boot for two. The Clash of the Titus puts Rawley away at 4:11.

Rating: D. Dude you’re jobbing to Titus O’Neil. What exactly does that say for your future career prospects? I still like Rawley but it’s clear that WWE doesn’t think too much of him. The heel turn looked to be a good sign for him but at this point, what exactly is there left for him to do? Lost to Jinder Mahal?

From Raw.

We open with Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, Lio Rush and Drew McIntyre in the ring. They talk about how great their Thanksgiving was, though they didn’t indulge themselves like these common people. They’re all thankful for everything they do, including what they did to Braun Strowman last week.

We see last week’s attack that put Strowman on the shelf and then go to Birmingham, Alabama where Strowman says he’ll be on the shelf for a while. His surgeon has never seen an injury like this before nor worked on an arm this size. He’ll be back though and what happened last week will look like a paper cut compared to what he’s doing to the three of them.

From Raw again.

Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin

Balor goes straight at him but gets hit in the jaw. Just to get the self parody going. Corbin has a chinlock on less than thirty seconds in. Corbin gets sent outside for a kick to the chest and we take a break. Back with Corbin holding another chinlock and sending Balor into the corner. That means ANOTHER chinlock, followed by a clothesline, followed by the fourth chinlock in less than ten minutes. This isn’t the kind of thing you want in a featured match.

Deep Six looks to set up the End of Days but Balor is right back with the shotgun dropkick. The Coup de Grace misses though and Corbin grabs a mic, making it a 2-1 handicap match with Drew McIntyre joining him. Balor flip dives onto McIntyre and dropkicks Corbin into the timekeeper’s area but McIntyre jumps him from behind. The Claymore is good for the pin on Balor at 13:25.

Rating: D-. Corbin is just so bad in the ring and this was more of the same heel abuse of power stuff that we’ve seen for the better part of forever. Balor was just cannon fodder here and the match was bad because they let Corbin run things instead of doing anything exciting. Terrible main event.

Post match Lashley comes out for the triple beatdown to end the show. At least McIntyre seems to be away from Ziggler now and that’s some of the only good news on this show.

From Smackdown.

Here’s AJ Styles for his first comments since losing the title. The 14 days since he lost the title have felt like a lot more than the 371 days he held it. He hates losing, but it was the way he lost. After a clip of the loss, AJ talks about the aftermath being what bothered him. We see a clip of Bryan’s speech about being a new man last week and AJ talks about how Bryan has been nowhere to be seen over the last week. Bryan better come out of his little chamber and show up at TLC. Make sure to bring the title though, because it belongs to AJ. Good fire from Styles here and the match should be great.

Tyler Breeze/Ascension vs. Zack Ryder/B-Team

Now a clever story here would be to say that Breeze doesn’t like what the Ascension is doing but is working with his former friends. That’s not what they’re doing here, but it would make more sense than having him do a random match as a heel. Viktor and Dallas start things off with Bo’s headlock going nowhere but everything breaks down in a hurry. The good guys clean house and Konor has to save Viktor from the Broski Boot. The distraction lets Viktor hit the jumping knee to the face and we take a break.

Back with Viktor throwing Breeze into Ryder in the corner. Konor comes back in for some elbows and a chinlock, followed by dropping Breeze on top for two. Viktor adds his own stomping and a chinlock, because of course he does. I don’t remember the last time there were this many chinlocks in a company but it’s getting really old. The Woo Awakening gets Ryder out of trouble and it’s off to Axel to clean house. The Axhole gets two and it’s off to Breeze, who gets caught in a neckbreaker from a blindly tagged in Dallas for the pin at 10:10.

Rating: D+. Perfectly watchable six man as I question the logic of having Breeze take the pin when he’s teaming with THE ASCENSION, as in the team that exists solely to take falls and put people over. This is a fine role for the B-Team as well as they’re entertaining and a fun act, especially as a warm up act like they were here.

From Raw.

Here are Nia Jax and Tamina for a chat. Nia says she has a lot to be thankful for this year, mainly being breaking Becky Lynch’s face. That brings her to Ronda Rousey, so we see Jax beating Rousey up at Money in the Bank. Then it was Charlotte beating her up at Survivor Series, leaving Ronda to talk about how hard a champion has to fight. Nia is now on top of the mountain but here’s Rousey to interrupt.

Rousey yells at her about how Nia is from a warrior culture who likes to hit people in the face. She could fight the champ right now, but Jax just got done washing Becky’s crusted blood off her hand. The double teaming seems imminent but Natalya runs in….and gets jumped by the Riott Squad. Rousey makes the save.

And from Raw again.

Intercontinental Title: Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler

Open challenge and I actually collapsed a bit when I heard the record scratch. Ziggler says he’s going to get back to being the best in the world by becoming champion again. They hit the mat to start and Ziggler can’t quite keep up. Instead Rollins sends him outside and we take a break.

Back with Rollins in trouble and Ziggler ripping at his face. The chinlock goes on, Ziggler chokes on the ropes, and the chinlock goes on again. Ziggler puts on a third chinlock before throwing him outside for a second break. Back again with Rollins making a comeback and hitting the Sling Blade. An enziguri rocks Ziggler and Rollins heads up, only to get crotched back down. He shoves Ziggler down but misses the frog splash, setting up the Fameasser to give Ziggler two.

Ziggler’s jumping DDT is blocked so he settles for two off a small package instead. The sleeper goes on but Rollins drops him back and hits the low superkick for two. Rollins misses the Stomp and walks into the Zig Zag for another near fall. After looking at some fans being excited, Ziggler heads up top but Rollins catches him with the superplex into the Falcon Arrow to retain at 22:45.

Rating: B. It was a good match and I’ll give them some big points for the non-finisher ending, but egads I never need to see these two fight again. The match took a long time to get going but things picked up a lot after the break. I was starting to get into it at the end and that’s the best thing I can say about something on this show. As usual, Rollins is one of the more entertaining people, even if he was out there with Ziggler.

Overall Rating: D+. You know, it’s kind of amazing how much better Raw seemed without the stupid Drake Maverick thing. That absolutely killed the show and is one of the dumbest things they’ve done in a long time. Now that being said, the rest of Raw was mostly garbage but they got the best part in here with the Rollins vs. Ziggler match. It’s not worth watching of course, but this could have been a lot worse.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: November 28, 2018
Location: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

Things are in a bit of a holding pattern around here at the moment as Buddy Murphy doesn’t have a challenger but is involved in a tag match tonight, teaming with Tony Nese against Mustafa Ali and Cedric Alexander. Other than that I’m sure we’ll be in for the normal midcard shenanigans, which can be hit or miss. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Drake Maverick previews the show and yes we are supposed to take him seriously after what happened on Raw. I love how WWE thinks that’s how it works, like they’re different continuities or something.

Opening sequence.

Mike Kanellis vs. Noam Dar

Fallout from Kanellis costing Dar a match recently. Kanellis slaps at Dar’s hands in the corner to start as Maria sits in on commentary. Dar gets in a kick to the leg and waves at Maria to a reaction quieter than a golf clap. For some reason Dar goes outside (presumably to look at Maria) and gets jumped from behind, with Mike hitting a suplex. Back in and we hit the chinlock as Maria tries to explain the power of love.

The hold doesn’t last long as Dar pops up with a running dropkick to the head as the arena is just quiet. A spinebuster gets Kanellis out of trouble and here’s the Lucha House Party for a distraction. With Dorado and Metalik on the stage, Kalisto kicks Mike in the head, setting up the Nova Roller to give Dar the pin at 3:52.

Rating: D. Is anyone else really getting sick of the Lucha House Party? I know they’re there for some fun and can get the fans a little more energetic than most things (like this match for example) but they’re getting more annoying every week. Dar isn’t much better and I’m not sure about having him beat Mike. While Mike isn’t great, Maria is a gem with some presence to her and it shows off on commentary. Too short to mean much, but not exactly good.

Brian Kendrick and Akira Tozawa are warming up with Tozawa getting on Kendrick’s nerves just enough to bring out the aggression. Tozawa’s hands hurt after Kendrick pounds the gloves so hard.

Drew Gulak and Jack Gallagher talk about how Kendrick used to be their friend but then he changed. Gulak uses some word that he doesn’t understand so Gallagher helps him out a bit in a funny moment. Next week: Gulak vs. Kendrick.

Hideo Itami vs. Levy Cruise

Itami isn’t playing around tonight and blasts Cruise in the face to start. The kick to the back lets Itami shout RESPECT ME and believe it or not, the reactions are getting even quieter. Cruise is draped over the top rope for the jumping knee to the back and there’s the hesitation dropkick in the corner. The spinning knee to the head finishes Cruise at 1:27.

Post match the beatdown continues but Ariya Daivari of all people comes out to interrupt. Dude you still work here? And never mind as he helps beat on Cruise before saying he respects Itami. Egads man, how much more boring can they get with these two?

TJP asks Drake Maverick why he can’t be #1 contender but Maverick says no because Gran Metalik beat him last week. That means another mention of the Cruiserweight Classic, which doesn’t quite work. TJP finally brings up Maverick’s stuff from Raw but the Kanellises come in to say they want the Lucha House Party. Maria doesn’t want to hear from TJP, but does want a tornado tag match is made for next week. Maverick agrees and tosses them.

Mustafa Ali/Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy/Tony Nese

Alexander and Nese start things off with the traditional exchange of wristlocks. Nese avoids a moonsault and nips up to duck a clothesline. That’s fine with Alexander, who snaps off a dropkick for two, complete with a glare at Murphy. It’s off to Ali for a quick dropkick to the side of the head so Murphy comes in and gets dropkicked as well. The tag brings Alexander back in and Murphy immediately bails for the tag back to Nese.

A quick distraction lets Murphy hit a running knee to the face though and now he’s willing to take over on Alexander. Some knees to the ribs set up a bodyscissors from Nese but Alexander is up in a hurry. The hot tag brings in Ali to pick up the pace with a shot to the face and the Batista Bomb for two. Murphy blocks the tornado DDT through raw power though and Nese gets in a cheap shot from the apron. Nese comes in legally and steps on Ali’s hair (Nigel: “Could be an accident, you never know.”) before it’s back to Murphy for a hard clothesline.

Ali gets in a double clothesline to put both villains on the floor but Murphy pulls Alexander off the apron to break up the hot tag attempt. A spinning kick to Murphy’s face is finally enough for the hot tag and Alexander comes in with the springboard Flatliner for two on Nese. Alexander shoves Nese into the corner to crotch Murphy and it’s back to Ali, who goes up top with Alexander to get Murphy.

Since that’s a bit crowded up top (not to mention with Nese beneath the three of them), Murphy and Ali both fall down to the floor in some scary looking crashes. Alexander nails Nese with a dive and throws Murphy back in for a tornado DDT from Ali. The Lumbar Check finishes Murphy at 13:31.

Rating: B. Even with someone like Nese (who shockingly didn’t take the pin) in there, this felt like a big time tag match and a good main event. Alexander getting his rematch makes sense after how long he held the title so it’s hard to argue with the result. Ali will almost certainly be a factor going forward and that’s the best for almost everyone involved.

Overall Rating: C. The main event is all that matters here but there’s only so much you can get out of a third of the show when the rest of it isn’t exactly thrilling stuff. Murphy is turning into a much more interesting champion than I was expecting and his match with Alexander or another match with Ali could be entertaining. Other than that there isn’t much here, but that can change week to week.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Progress Wrestling

Progress Chapter 76: Hello Wembley
Date: September 30, 2018
Location: Wembley Arena, London, England
Attendance: 4,750
Commentators: Glenn Joseph, Daria Black

As mentioned: I’ve never watched the show so there are going to be angles, stories and plot points I don’t know. Hopefully commentary can explain these things.

There was a pre-show battle royal but since I don’t know most of the people involved (and can’t find it), we’ll get on to the regular show.

Progress owner Jim Smallman (whose book I bought while in England and need to read) is in the ring and nearly in tears. He can’t believe they’re here but he and his fellow owners are a tiny piece of what happens here. What matters are the wrestlers and the people who said bring it on when they said they were running this arena. Fans: “You deserve it!” Smallman: “I don’t deserve it. I’m a horrible human being.”

He’s a wrestling fan too and can’t wait to watch a lot of wrestling tonight and he knows the fans are going to show the world why British wrestling is the way it is. In something he apparently asks every time, he asks if fans have seen the show before (Smallman: “S*** that’s a lot.”) and how many are watching for the first time.

After a request for some applause for everyone in the aforementioned and aforeshow battle royal, Smallman says the only rule is to have fun while being considerate of the people around you. The rule around here is simple and the crowd shouts it for him: “DON’T BE A D***!” The fans chant something at the referee and it has to do with cheese. I’m not sure I want to know what that means so it’s time for the first match. To give you an idea of how different this place is: there were about eight F bombs in this speech. You don’t see that in America too often.

Matt Riddle vs. Mark Haskins

This is Riddle’s last independent match and he had already wrestled for NXT at this point. Haskins has a woman named Vicky with face paint, limited clothing and a baseball bat with nails in it ala Lucille from the Walking Dead. The fans sing some song about Riddle which sounds like they’re saluting the King of Bros. Haskins, who is clearly a rather mean man, shakes hands without much enthusiasm.

The grappling exchanges takes it to the mat with the bigger Riddle trying to fight out of a headlock. Back up and Riddle can’t quite get a cross armbreaker so he has to slip out of a Sharpshooter attempt. Riddle goes for the arm again but it turns into an exchange of covers. They both try kicks to the ribs and both catch the other before setting them down on the mat. Riddle strikes a martial arts pose and says bring it so Haskins takes a boxing stance and flips him off.

An exchange of kicks to the thigh goes to a draw but Riddle knocks him to the floor. They switch places though and Haskins scores with a suicide dive. Riddle puts him on the apron for more kicks to the chest but gets caught in a legbar. Back in and Haskins switches to some knees to the head for two, followed by something like a reverse Koji Clutch. Riddle is right back with a knee to the face and a German suplex. Some running forearms in the corner give Riddle two and it’s off to some YES Kicks, with Haskins telling him to go harder.

Haskins is fine enough to grab Riddle for two off a Samoan driver but his Sharpshooter is kicked away. Riddle is right back with a fisherman’s buster and a cradle tombstone gets two. In what feels like a change of pace but something he could pull off, Riddle heads up top but gets superplexed right back down in the big crash. Riddle is up first but Haskins does an Undertaker sit up, only to get powerbombed back down.

That means a knee to the face but a fireman’s carry is reversed into a Canadian Destroyer (How do you even do that?). Haskins scores with a top rope double stomp for a very close two but Riddle knees him in the face two more times. Riddle grabs his hand for something but Haskins pulls him into a pumphandle driver (Made In England) for what feels like a big upset at 17:16.

Rating: B. This was a great choice for an opener as Riddle is one of the top stars around here and someone who is going to get a great reaction no matter what he does. They had a really entertaining match and beat each other up, with some of those spots being things that should have been knockouts but here were just transitional stuff. That’s fine for something this big though and I had a great time watching both of them.

Post match Haskins won’t shake his hand because he wants a hug. Riddle’s happy face is hilarious in the way only he can pull off.

Smallman thanks Riddle for everything he’s done for the company over the years.

Women’s Title: Jinny vs. Millie McKenzie vs. Toni Storm

Jinny is defending and I’ve been looking forward to this as her reputation outside of NXT UK is rather strong. She also comes out with three women (collectively known as the House Of Couture (might have misheard that) and one of them is Nina Samuels) in her corner. Storm gets the heroine’s welcome, as you have to expect.

Jinny is booed out of the building and goes right after Toni to start. Millie gets sent outside early and it’s a brawl between the other two. Toni kicks her in the chest and hammers away but gets taken down by Millie. A swinging neckbreaker drops Jinny to send her outside but it’s too early for Storm Zero on Millie. The House offers a double distraction though and Jinny is back in with the double clothesline.

Millie gets sent outside again and the beatdown is on as commentary plays up the idea that she’s the odd woman out as Jinny and Toni want to kill each other. Toni is right back with a German suplex to Jinny but walks into a spear. Another spear to Jinny is reversed into a belly to belly into the corner and they’re all down. The House goes after Toni but here are Laura Di Mateo and Candyfloss for the save because we don’t have enough people at ringside yet. The three people actually in the match slug it out with right hands and headbutts.

Millie is up first and German suplexes Jinny twice in a row, followed by a German suplex to both of them at once. That’s only good for two each so Jinny gives them both Downward Spirals into the middle buckle. Toni is right back up with running hip attacks in the corner and a piledriver to Millie on the apron makes it even worse. Back in and Toni piledrives Jinny as well, drawing in the House. Laura and Candyfloss come in for the staredown….and Laura decks her. That means a Rainmaker for Toni and Jinny is thrown on top to retain at 8:30.

Rating: B-. I was digging this one and it could have been a lot longer than it was. The turn at the end felt like a big deal and probably something that I would have liked more if I knew who these people were. All three looked good here and you could feel the hatred between Jinny and Toni. Pinning someone who would go on to win the Mae Young Classic looks even more impressive in retrospective and I could go for this Jinny being around in NXT UK.

Post match the announcers panic because Laura is Jinny’s former assistant. The new House poses but Jordynne Grace (a near monster) comes in and wrecks everyone, as Jinny and Laura bail to the floor. Good debut after a good angle.

Atlas Title: Trent Seven vs. Doug Williams

Williams is defending and this is the over 205lb title. Kind of odd but ok then. Also, if Williams loses, he retires. One thing I like a lot: commentary doesn’t talk during entrances. You don’t have to say something all the time and it’s nice to just let things breathe once in awhile. They shake hands to start and Williams takes him to the ropes for the traditional head shake.

An exchange of wristlocks goes to the mat with Trent grabbing a headscissors. Williams flips out and grabs the ankle in a nice display of skill that feels like it belongs in someone’s last match. Trent takes him down into a choke but Williams reverses into one of his own. To show the difference in the generations, Seven dances out and grabs a second choke. Back up and Trent misses a crossbody as Williams casually steps to the side. A DDT drops Williams though and it’s time for some chops in the corner.

Williams is right back with a kick to the head and we hit the chinlock. The comeback is cut off with a belly to belly and Williams nails a top rope back elbow. An exploder suplex into the corner gets two but Rolling Chaos Theory is reversed into a piledriver to give Seven two. Rolling Chaos Theory works just fine the second time and Williams goes up.

The superplex from Seven is broken up and Williams powerbombs him down, setting up another piledriver for two more. Seven is back up with a Burning Hammer (nearly dropping Williams) for two of his own so Seven unloads with chops. That just earns him another Rolling Chaos Theory but Seven slips out of another attempt and hits a crossbody for the pin and the title at 14:16.

Rating: C+. Good match which felt like a sendoff for Williams, which was exactly the case. Williams is a big name and having him go out while putting someone over is the right idea, especially someone like Seven who is one of the bigger names around. The suplexes looked good and Williams didn’t look old, which is always a worry in a match like this. It’s a fitting sendoff and I can go with something like that happening at such a big show.

Post match Seven hugs him and lets Williams have the ring as the locker room comes out to applaud.

We recap Jimmy Havoc vs. Paul Robinson. They used to be partners but Robinson beat the heck out of him, sending Havoc away for over a year. Havoc came back and was in a #1 contenders match against Will Ospreay when Robinson, the referee, attacked him, saying that Robinson was the beast that Havoc had been searching for. Time for a crazy violent match.

Jimmy Havoc vs. Paul Robinson

Anything goes and Havoc, carrying an ax, is painted white. Havoc goes right at him and hits a Rainmaker in the first ten seconds as they’re not wasting time. They’re on the floor in a hurry as you had to know was coming. A door to the back keeps Robinson in trouble and Havoc crotches him on the barricade for mean measure. Robinson comes back with a chop and Havoc just stares at him ala Sting to Flair.

Havoc pelts a chair at Robinson’s head and then throws another at his back. It’s time for an ironing board (of course) and Havoc powerbombs him through it for a good looking crash. Robinson finds a barbed wire bat and cuts open Havoc’s chest. Of course the head is next because we need some serious blood. They actually go inside again for a change of pace with Robinson bringing the door for some extra fun. He also brings in a staplegun to give Havoc some fresh holes in his head.

Robinson follows it up by stapling a shirt to Havoc’s chest but Havoc rips them out and flips Robinson off. Now that just doesn’t seem like a good idea. It’s frying pan time but Havoc no sells a shot to the head. I mean, after the staples that’s not the biggest stretch. A shot to Robinson’s head works a bit better and there’s the Death Valley Driver through the door. Robinson gets sat in the corner for a staple to the crotch but pops back up (make your own jokes) and breaks a light tube over Havoc’s head.

The broken tube is stabbed into Havoc’s back (egads man) and of course it’s time for the thumbtacks. Havoc shrugs off the glass in his back (of course) and hits another Death Valley Driver onto the tacks for two. Robinson is busted as well as Havoc grabs a bunch of light tubes, one of which he headbutts into Robinson’s head. Havoc puts out more light tubes but gets slammed off the top onto them, followed by a middle rope backsplash onto the tubs onto Havoc’s chest.

A curb stomp onto the tacks gets two on Havoc as Robinson’s back is COVERED in blood. Robinson bridges another tube between two open chairs but Havoc saves himself with another Rainmaker. Havoc stomps him face first through the tube and hits another Rainmaker for the pin at 13:45.

Rating: F. This wasn’t wrestling and I can’t stand watching it. They spent the entire second half of the match with the light tubes and that stuff just gets old after…oh about two seconds. I know this stuff has its fans, but I’m just not the right audience for it. This wasn’t as bad as some of the death match nonsense you see elsewhere, but I could still go for never seeing it again.

Robinson slowly walks out, as he should.

Show ads.

Smallman is back in the ring and we seem to have skipped intermission. Apparently the owners of the arena came up to the Progress bosses and told them that they’ve brought in the best wrestling atmosphere ever. They were given a special plaque saying that it was the biggest British independent wrestling show in over thirty years. They’ve also set a Progress attendance record with 4,750 people.

The fans agree that this is Progress and Smallman sends us to a video announcing the Super Strong Style 16 tournament. This brings out the injured former World Champion Travis Banks, who has won the tournament before. He wants in next year and is the first man to get involved with next year’s tournament. Smallman seems fine with this.

Tag Team Titles: Thunderbastard

So this is basically a Royal Rumble tag match and the culmination of a round robin tournament. The idea is the teams are going to be introduced in the order they finished in the tournament with the team with the best record entering last. There will be two teams to start and another is added every two minutes with eliminations via pinfall, submission or disqualification. Flamita and Bandido are defending, despite not even being in the tournament to start as they won the titles while it was taking place. Got all that? I’m not sure I do so I might need some notes later.

Since Flamita and Bandido didn’t get any points in the tournament, they start again Sexy Starr (David Starr and Jack Sexsmith), the latter of whom seems to be romantically involved. Starr even kisses him before the Big Match Intros. Sexsmith is introduced as the Pansexual Phenomenon and we get Starr’s full entrance (complete with about fifteen different names, which he usually says himself). In an odd visual, the referee is taller than all four wrestlers.

They take turns flipping and rolling around to start and it’s a very early standoff. Starr and Sexsmith fail at nipups in a funny bit so the champs help them up and we get some nice handshakes. Flamita doesn’t let go of Sexsmith’s hand though and drops to a knee, throwing in a little spank for…fun I guess? Starr is furious and hits him right in the mask as Sexsmith tries to calm things down. The champs start in with the superkicks and double moonsaults to take over until M&M (Connor Mills and Maverick Mayhew) are in third. This is going to get messy in a hurry isn’t it?

Mayhew wastes no time in hitting a double springboard spinning wristdrag on Flamita but Sexy Starr gets back up, only to be sent into each other. Mills throws Mayhew into a DDT for two on Starr and it’s time for everyone to chop everyone. With that going nowhere, Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher, who is only 18, and Mark Davis) are in fourth. I’ve seen these guys before and they’re quite good.

The Aussies start cleaning house and a sitout Michinoku Driver gets two on Starr. Sexsmith’s weak chops have no effect so a right hand knocks him into the corner. With the Aussies in full control, the Anti-Fun Police (Chief Deputy (not Pete) Dunne and Los Federales Santos Jr., a rather big guy, in a gimmick that is exactly what it sounds like) are in fifth. The much bigger Santos runs Davis over on the floor) and hit stereo enziguris on M&M. Flamita and Bandido get in some kicks to knock Santos down (in the big, slow fall that it should be) and the ring is cleared.

Davis comes back in and spears both champs but they send him outside in short order. The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson and James Drake) are in sixth and come in through the crowd with Gibson doing the same promo he’s done on every NXT UK show so far. The fans are all over Gibson until Flamita and Bandido take them out with dives. Somehow that doesn’t have much effect and Gibson is right back up with the mic still in hand. M&M comes back in to clean house though and a discus forearm rocks Drake.

As the Calimari Thatch Kings (Chris Brookes, sporting a bad shoulder, and Timothy Thatcher) are in seventh, the Ticket to Mayhem (a reverse powerbomb into a Codebreaker) finishes Mills for the first elimination at 10:35. A belly to belly suplex puts Gibson down and the Kings slap on stereo holds to put the Veterans in trouble.

Those are broken up and Fletcher comes in as the complete insanity of this match continues. Davis kicks people in the face but gets pulled down into a Fujiwara armbar. Fletcher is caught in a kneebar at the same time as the 198 (Flash Morgan Webster and Wild Boar Mike Hitchman) are in eighth to complete the field.

The 198 starts cleaning house and Webster hits a Swanton onto Thatcher’s back for two. Hitchman throws Sexy Starr onto of each other and drops a backsplash for two of his own. Dunne and Santos remember they’re in this match and come back in for Fun is Over (an elevated Codebreaker, because Codebreakers are awesome) on Webster. The crazy eyed Thatcher grabs Santos and putting him down with one slap. A double underhook Jackhammer gets two on Dunne with Santos making a save.

The Aussies are back in for a slam/cutter for two on Brookes but the Vets come in to take them down as well. Flamita and Bandido come in to take care of Gibson and a wheelbarrow throw into a moonsault gives Flamita two. A slightly assisted STANDING PHOENIX SPLASH gives Bandido the same (egads man) as Thatcher has Santos in a kneebar on the floor. The kickout means a LOUD “STAND UP IF YOU HATE GIBSON” chat, which is always cool.

Sexy Starr comes back in for a German suplex/top rope double stomp combination (the Climax, because of course) for two on Flamita. Hitchman comes back in for a Rikishi Driver to pin Sexsmith and get us down to six. You know, because twelve people are easier to keep track of than fourteen. The Kings come back in with Thatcher and Hitchman having a hard slugout. Thatcher gets the better of it and goes outside to hold people for the big series of dives. Santos dives onto everyone but Dunne breaks up Bandido’s dive because that would be fun.

The fans demand fun so Bandido hits a backflip fall away slam onto everyone else, which certainly seems to meet the fun requirement. Santos comes back in but gets choked by Webster. Dunne makes the save with a top rope Backstabber but gets caught in a pop up powerbomb from Hitchman. One heck of a whip package piledriver finishes Dunne to get us down to five at 22:33.

Davis comes in and chops away at both Kings and Fletcher adds a superkick to Thatcher. Close Your Eyes (a piledriver with Davis pulling Brookes up from the mat to drop him on his head) gets rid of the Kings at 23:49, leaving us with the 198, the Aussies, the Veterans and Bandido/Flamita. Speaking of the Veterans, they’re back in with stereo Shankley Gates, which are reversed into some holds from the 198. The champs come in for the save (Why?) and the ref gets bumped. In this match???

The lack of one referee (there was a second on the floor for obvious reasons) lets Hitchman use Webster’s helmet on Bandido to give Webster the pin at 25:09, guaranteeing us new champions. The fans immediately cheer for the Aussies as the 198 throw the mostly dead Davis back inside. Fletcher makes a fast save though and the Fidget Spinner (basically a double AA) finishes Webster at 26:16, leaving us with the Aussies vs. the Veterans. Well that’s the best way to get the fans to cheer for one team.

The slugout is on with the Veterans getting the better of things, only to have Gibson take a quick Fidget Spinner for two. Fletcher can’t believe it and Drake saves Gibson from taking another one. Davis gets pulled to the floor and sent into the steps, leaving Fletcher to get taken down for some stomping.

A Doomsday Device is countered into a victory roll for two but Gibson catches Fletcher with a Codebreaker (this show has made me sick of that move). Drake’s 450 gets two and the Veterans are stunned this time. It’s Davis coming back in for the save though and a kick to the face rocks Drake. With Gibson being knocked outside, a Fidget Spinner out of an electric chair finishes Drake to give us new champions at 31:27.

Rating: B. Well that was a blast. It takes a lot to keep something like this coherent and entertaining at the same time but they managed to pull it off here. They had sixteen people in the match around here and everyone got a chance to shine. The Aussies were crazy popular at the end and these fans would take two years off the back end of their lives to see Gibson lose. This was a hard one to pull off but they made it work in rather impressive fashion.

We recap Pete Dunne vs. Ilja Dragunov. Some European promoter named Christian Michael Jakobi (CMJ) didn’t like the idea of Dunne being considered the best independent wrestler in Europe and the challenge was on. CMJ has called Pete a silly little boy so I don’t see this going well.

Pete Dunne vs. Ilja Dragunov

Non-title. CMJ is here and even trips on his way to the ring. The fans aren’t interested in hearing from him but he wants something more. He’s here to see the change that comes with Ilja defeating Dunne to become the best wrestler in all of Europe. Ilja is rather intense looking, though then again so is Dunne. They get in each others faces during the Big Match Intros and the slugout is on as soon as possible. Dunne hits the first clothesline and it’s time to work on the arm.

Ilja is right back with a dropkick and a backsplash to send Dunne outside. A dive takes Dunne down as well but he’s fine enough to hit the X Plex onto the apron. Ilja’s arm gets stomped on the steps but a second attempt misses, allowing Ilja to get in a shot to the face. There’s a suplex off the steps to put Pete in more trouble as we get some more backstory on CMJ and Dunne: apparently CMJ dismissed Dunne as someone not good enough years ago and now he’s trying to prove himself right. Works for me. Back in and Ilja hits a heck of a chop before getting a little cocky.

Dunne hits a forearm to send Ilja into the corner and a middle rope dropkick takes him down. The kneebar goes on and is quickly switched into an ankle lock but Ilja kicks him off. That’s fine with Dunne, who comes back with a Liger Bomb of all things for two. Ilja catches him on top for a superplex and tries to roll into something else, only to get caught in another X Plex. Some running clotheslines have Dunne in trouble and a powerbomb gets two.

Dunne grabs him by the ears and noes (because….well why not really) but gets caught with another chop. An enziguri staggers Ilja but he catches Dunne with a hard clothesline as Dunne still can’t get a step ahead of him. Back up and Ilja unloads on him with strikes and an enziguri but can’t knock Dunne off his feet. The snap German suplex and Bitter End get two so Dunne stomps away at his head…and Ilja spits at him. That earns him even more stomps so Ilja reverses and drives elbows into the head.

They trade a series of headbutts and both guys go down in a heap apiece. With both of them sitting up they slap it out until Dunne bites on the fingers. The referee breaks it up so CMJ can get in a belt shot to drop Dunne. Ilja goes Coast to Coast for two but Dunne punches him down and snaps CMJ’s fingers. A second Coast to Coast is punched out of the air and a second Bitter End gets two more. Ilja nails a torture rack into a flipping facebreaker and the Torpedo Moscow (running headbutt)…but Dunne pops up and snaps his fingers for the tap at 18:43.

Rating: B. This had some very strong moments but never got all the way to the point I think they were shooting for. Dunne continues to be the big star around here and it’s a great sign to see that he does this in both America and England. Ilja is a great performer as well and will be a star when he gets to be around here a few more times. It was good enough for the big showdown with Dunne wanting to prove himself and Ilja was great as a dragon to slay.

Post match they sit down and stare at each other for a handshake.

We recap Eddie Dennis vs. Mark Andrews. They used to be partners and best friends until the much bigger Dennis turned on him. Apparently Dennis was angry at Andrews for taking the spotlight in an eight man scramble match, even though Andrews told him to get the win after they took out James Drake together. That was broken up and Andrews won the match a few seconds later.

The two of them had been friends for years and it may have been cool to steal a fall like that before, but now it’s about Andrews costing him his financial future. Andrews still wouldn’t fight his friend, even as Dennis brought up a bunch of past history between the two of them from years ago. Dennis even spat on him but couldn’t get Andrews to fight. This has been built for over eight months as Dennis still hasn’t gotten Andrews to agree to the match.

Andrews is only doing it to stop Dennis and finally snapped, talking about how Dennis gave up on wrestling and got a job as a teacher before crawling back to them to get back in wrestling. Dennis called him out for being a user, like using their friend Dunne to get over in wrestling and then using wrestling to get his band over. That’s enough for both of them and tonight it’s Tables, Ladders and Chairs.

This was a GREAT video and maybe even the best non-WWE one I’ve ever seen. The story feels epic and I want to see these two guys fight, even though I knew nothing about their issues five minutes ago. That’s the sign of a very well told story and this feels like the real main event tonight, as I think it’s supposed to be.

Eddie Dennis vs. Mark Andrews

TLC and the winner gets a future title shot. Andrews punches him to the floor to start and hits a suicide dive as they fight up the aisle. That means it’s time to start in with the weapons, including Andrews cracking him in the back with a chair. The first ladder (which is only about five feet tall) is brought in but Dennis uses it to drive Andrews into the corner. Dennis drops a ladder on Andrews’ back but gets sent face first into one to cut him off.

A hurricanrana over the ladder has Dennis on the apron but he kicks a charging Andrews in the face. Stundog Millionaire on the apron knocks Dennis off the apron…and not through the table. Dennis is right back up with a powerbomb and the table STILL won’t break. Egads man. A running Razor’s Edge bomb doesn’t break it either as this is starting to get entertaining. With that not working, Dennis pulls out a huge ladder but stops to drop Andrews on the apron.

Dennis sets up another table next to Super Table but Andrews takes him down with a dive. Back in and Dennis is fine enough for a Razor’s Edge buckle bomb before wedging a chair into the corner. Another Razor’s Edge is countered into a hurricanrana into the chair and it’s time for a third table. Dennis catches him on top and tries a superplex, only to be reversed into a Canadian Destroyer onto the table…AND THAT DOESN’T BREAK EITHER! We get what sounds like a BOTCHAMANIA chant, which really doesn’t make a ton of sense. I know the tables were supposed to break, but what looks more painful: the table just breaking or the person hitting the table and stopping on what seems to be a hard surface?

Since Andrews should be somewhat dead, Andrews sets up the big ladder in the ring…which he’s going to need to reach the contract that is WAY too high up. Dennis catches him on the ladder and knocks him off the top, sending Andrews back first into a ladder in the corner. Well it’s probably softer than the tables. With the contract in his grasp, Dennis comes back down instead and pulls out another table, setting it up on the floor.

Another big ladder is pulled out but Andrews dropkicks it into Dennis’ chest. Andrews climbs the ladder for the big Swanton….and the ladder just slips out from underneath Dennis instead of breaking. That earns a TABLE chant and it’s kind of hard to argue against that one. Back in and Dennis spits at him so Andrews kicks him down and loads up another table to a big reaction.

Some chair shots keep Dennis down and Andrews goes up, only to have him get off the table and climb as well. The reverse inverted DDT off the ladder FINALLY breaks the table, drawing in some streamers from the crowd. Fans: “F*** YOU TABLE!” That’s enough for Dennis to climb up and win the title at 18:43.

Rating: B. It was entertaining, but there was almost no way they were living up to that awesome video. These guys beat each other up, but it didn’t help to have the table being the star of the match. Seriously, English tables are apparently the strongest things in wrestling. Anyway, this didn’t quite have the level of violence and intensity that it was going for. You can only do so much with that level of anticipation though and it held them back here. Still though, really entertaining with some good looking spots from Andrews.

Post match Andrews gets the hero’s sendoff.

We recap Tyler Bate vs. Walter (yes I know it’s capitalized), which is a clash of styles and sizes. Walter is a huge monster who says that while Bate is the Big Strong Boy, he’s the Big Man. Bate walks around here like a Conor McGregor knockoff and needs to grow up. Bate says that he’s the Big Strong Boy and he’s going to throw Walter around and become champion because he can.

Progress World Title: Walter vs. Tyler Bate

Walter is defending and gets played to the ring by a live violinist in a nice touch. A headlock sends Bate flying and Walter lets him go on the apron. Bate isn’t sure what to do so Walter takes him down by the arm instead. That’s spun out of and Bate scores with a dropkick. For some reason Bate agrees to a test of strength and is quickly taken down with another headlock. The fans are split here but seem to be more behind Bate. A slam doesn’t work for Bate but he ducks a chop (Walter’s signature).

Bate flips out of a German suplex and shoulders him to no avail. A slam makes the shoulder work (wrestling logic is weird) and Walter is knocked out to the floor. Back in and Bate goes after the leg but Walter chops him out of the air. That sets up the big chinlock with Walter smothering the much smaller Bate. Walter cranks on both arms and even stomps on Bate’s head to really crush him. Bate slips out so Walter turns him inside out with a chop, sending Bate out to the floor.

Back in and Walter lays on him a bit before laying Bate across the top rope and standing on his face. Bate’s right hands have almost no effect and Walter knees him in the face for good measure. A hurricanrana sends Walter to the floor but he catches the suicide dive and hits another chop. Somehow Bate is able to hit a vertical suplex and they’re both down on the floor. Now the suicide dive works a bit better and Bate has Walter in trouble for the first time.

The slugout goes to Bate and there’s the airplane spin to freak the fans out all over again. A pair of lariats puts Walter on his knees but he turns Bate inside out with one of his own. Bate slips out of a superplex attempt but can’t hit the Tyler Driver 97. Instead Walter dropkicks him into the corner and gets two off a powerbomb. Some more chops have Bate in trouble but he kicks at the leg and clotheslines Walter down. That means the deadlift German suplex for two and it’s time to slap it out again.

This one goes badly for Bate, as Walter takes him down into a heck of an STF. Bate makes a rope so Walter hits a dropkick to send him flying (great visual) into the corner. A top rope splash gives Walter two and Walter is spent. Bate’s sleeper has Walter in more trouble until he just drops back to break it up. As usual, the simple ideas often work best.

They climb the same corner and this isn’t going to end well. Bate manages an exploder superplex from the top and it’s an airplane spin torture rack of all things to keep Walter rocked. The camera shot going wide for that was awesome as Bate spinning the giant over his head looked great.

The Tyler Driver 97 gets two but Spinal Tap misses and Walter grabs the rear naked choke. Bate stands up (of course he does) and drops back for the break (with Walter looking stunned as he goes down). The hold goes on again but this time Bate backflips out of the corner for two. The THIRD choke only gets two arm drops so Walter hits the Fire Thunder Driver to retain at 30:15.

Rating: A-. Oh yeah that worked. I’m really not sure about Walter retaining as they had the place rocking on those near falls at the biggest show the company has ever had and the title change would have made a lot of sense, especially with the little guy overcoming the monster. At the same time though, this was a Rocky style story with Bate wanting to prove that he was more than a goof as he went the distance and took Walter to the brink. In that regard, this was an incredible story with Walter expecting to dominate but having to survive in the end. That’s the first Walter match I’ve ever seen and it certainly delivered in a big way.

Post match Seven and Dunne check on Bate as Walter literally clutches his title. We get the big show of respect and Walter says we’ll do this again. Bate is a little frustrated to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. While it might have been a hair too long, this was a very entertaining show with nothing bad (I’m leaving the Havoc match off as that’s more me not being a fan of the style than anything else) and a great main event. I get the appeal of this place as it feels like a very fun wrestling promotion with some incredible talent (though talent you can see elsewhere) and good stories. It’s a lot more entertaining than NXT UK, as this had the emotions and stories with the good characters, most of which are completely lacking on the WWE side. I could go for some more of this stuff and the whole thing was a lot of fun.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

There are more than three you know.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-women/

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor

Ring of Honor
Date: November 28, 2018
Location: Stage AE, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

What does it say that I had to look up the results from last week’s episode? This series really doesn’t have a lot of staying power and that’s been an issue for a long time. Last week’s main event saw SCU winning the Tag Team Titles to give them some security as the year comes to a close. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Christopher Daniels being injured two weeks ago and SCU winning the Tag Team Titles last week.

Opening sequence.

The Kingdom vs. The Boys

We take an early break and come back with Taven hitting a running knee to #1’s face but #2 comes in for a headscissors. #2’s dive is caught in the air so #1 dives onto both of them for the double knockdown. Vinny Marseglia pops up from underneath the ring though and pulls #2 under. The Climax finishes #1 at 6:12.

Rating: D. Just an angle here and while that’s fine, it could have been a little more interesting if they had come up with something a little more interesting. Maybe it’s the Kingdom not exactly being thrilling or maybe it’s the Boys, but this wasn’t exactly thrilling. At least Taven is facing Dalton Castle at the pay per view instead of going after the World Title, but you know that’s coming.

Cody talks about Final Battle being the anniversary of him losing the World Title. Since then, he’s never gotten his one on one title shot and that changes at Final Battle. Cody was pretty serious here and it worked….I think.

Ian brings Jonathan Gresham to the ring for a chat. Gresham, who is tiny compared to Ian, isn’t on the Final Battle card yet while his tag partner Jay Lethal has a World Title defense. He’s here to prove that he’s the best technical wrestler in the world so it’s Open Challenge time for the pay per view. All the best technical wrestlers in the world can come see him….and here’s Zack Sabre Jr. on the screen. He’ll show up at Final Battle for the challenge in his ROH debut. Wait, how in the world has Sabre never worked here before??? Anyway that should be a good one.

Daniels is on the phone with someone named Joe (presumably COO Joe Koff) and promises to send the signed documents to him the next day. SCU is there with him and the two of them have contracts. Daniels doesn’t though and the two of them are worried about him. He’ll come up with something.

Kelly Klein vs. Jenny Rose

The winner goes on to the four way title match at Final Battle and Rose is in a football jersey for some reason. They don’t even wait for the bell and start fighting in a hurry with Klein taking over off some knees to the face. Rose gets sent outside and we take a break. Back with Rose rolling out of the corner but getting pulled back in for a choke. That earns Klein a slam off the top and a spear gives Rose two. Some knees to the back keep Klein in trouble but she’s right back with K Power (spinning AA) for the pin at 7:35.

Rating: D+. I know I’ve said it before but EGADS this division is just not working. There’s a history between these two but I have no idea who Rose and Klein are (as in I know nothing about them) and that doesn’t make for an interesting match. The wrestling wasn’t bad, but I couldn’t tell you who else is fighting for the title and really, I don’t care.

Video on Hangman Page vs. Jeff Cobb. That could be a heck of a hoss fight.

Quick vignette of a heart monitor line spiking over and over. No idea who that is.

Young Bucks vs. Briscoes

The winners face SCU at Final Battle. Mark jumps over Nick to start so Nick hits a springboard flipping wristdrag to take over instead. Everything breaks down in a hurry with Matt firing off the kicks and throwing Nick into the air for a double dropkick. A neckbreaker to Mark in the corner sets up a quick slingshot splash and the Bucks are in trouble as we take an early break.

Back with Matt in trouble as the Briscoes take turns hitting him in the head. The choking on the ropes keep Matt in trouble and Mark is smart enough to knock Nick off the apron before Matt can get to the corner. As tends to be the case though, the hot tag goes through all of five seconds later and the Bucks put on stereo Sharpshooters. The Briscoes grab the ropes and start throwing the Bucks around. Redneck Boogie gets two on Matt and Jay grabs his own Sharpshooter on Matt.

Another rope break sends us to another break and we come back with Nick starting to clean house. Mark gets catapulted into a kick to the face in the corner and a slingshot splash gives Nick two. They slug it out with the Briscoes getting the better of it until the Bucks superkick their way to freedom for two. It’s Meltzer Driver time but Jay throws in a chair. Matt gets one of his own and stereo chair peltings give us a double DQ at 12:09.

Rating: B-. These teams have great chemistry together and that was the case again here. The ending pretty clearly sets up the triple threat match at Final Battle and there’s nothing wrong with that. You really wouldn’t want to have either of these teams go over the other so the three way is the best idea, even if we just saw it a few weeks back. Good main event with a big match feel.

Post match Jay and Matt fight over a chair and the referee gets decked. The teams don’t seem to mind and keep slugging it out until security comes in to separate them. Cue SCU to say oh well, we can just fight you both at Final Battle. Oh and we can make it Ladder War. The deal is on to end the show.

Actually hang on as we get that heart monitor thing again.

Overall Rating: C-. Strong main event aside, this wasn’t exactly a great show. I’m glad they set up one of the biggest matches for Final Battle but other than that, this was a bunch of boring wrestling with little angle advancement. There’s some good stuff in Ring of Honor but when it misses, it really misses badly. At least the main event was there to help things, but it couldn’t quite save the show.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: June 28, 2004
Location: Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, Virginia
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

With less than two weeks to go, it’s time to get focused on Vengeance. As it turns out, last week’s main event had no bearing on the pay per view as HHH is getting his World Title shot (I’m stunned too.) despite not beating Eugene. Other than that we have the continuing issues of Kane fathering Lita’s baby, which isn’t likely to get much attention tonight because Kane is getting a World Title shot against Chris Benoit. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Last week, WWE won some awards. Good for them.

We open with a recap of HHH vs. Eugene, featuring HHH snapping and beating him down, drawing in Benoit for the save. Benoit accidentally chaired Eugene though and got laid out by HHH to end the show. That’ll show Eugene for getting over without being named HHH.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Evolution to get things going. HHH says tonight’s main event doesn’t matter because he’s facing the winner at Vengeance no matter what. For tonight though, he’d like Eugene to come out here because they’re still friends. A nervous Eugene comes out, complete with a bandage with a drawn on smiley face. HHH talks about how there are mean people around here, like Chris Benoit. All HHH was doing was trying to prepare him last week because if HHH really wanted to hurt him, Eugene wouldn’t be here.

The reality is that Benoit can’t stand Eugene and wants to hurt him. HHH doesn’t usually talk like this, but Benoit is nothing but a jerk. HHH: “I said the J word!” Orton looks very confused as HHH tells Eugene that they’re still friends. Tonight, Eugene gets to be an honorary member of Evolution. That means a round of hugs but here’s William Regal to say it’s a trap. HHH brings up Regal to work for Bischoff to get rid of Regal in exchange for his job. HHH: “YOU MAKE ME SICK!” This brings out Bischoff, to make HHH vs. Regal with Eugene as guest referee.

Again, this story is fascinating in a way. The character work and manipulation of Eugene is very entertaining as you can see the character changes throughout and that’s making for some entertaining TV. That being said, there is the issue of why HHH is doing this in the first place. He has the title shot and he has Evolution. Is there really a reason why he doesn’t just have them beat the heck out of Eugene and make them leave? Sure Bischoff is going to be happy to see Eugene get crushed, but this seems to be taking the very long way around when there’s an easier path to get what everyone wants.

Chris Jericho/Edge vs. Randy Orton/Batista

Well it was good last week. Orton tags out instead of fighting Jericho so it’s a right hand to Batista’s face to no avail. Batista takes him down and hammers away with right hands to the head as the fire alarm seems to be going off. Evolution takes turns hammering on Jericho’s head as the alarm keeps going. Someone might want to look into that sooner or later. The alarm is finally cut off, drawing a round of applause from the crowd.

Batista gets two off a big side slam but Jericho dropkicks him into the ropes for a breather. It’s still way too early for the hot tag, which is fine as Edge did more than enough work in the first version. Orton’s dropkick gets two but he walks into the sleeper drop, setting up the hot tag to Edge. That means some house cleaning but you know this one is getting some time so it’s only the preliminary house cleaning. They’re not to full dusting yet you see.

The Edgecator has Orton in trouble until Batista saves, only to get double dropkicked to the floor. Edge hits a baseball slide and Jericho adds a sweet dive to drop Batista as we take a break. Back with Edge taking Orton into the corner but Batista comes in again for a running powerslam. Orton stomps away and drops some legs for two before handing it back to Batista for a seated full nelson.

That’s finally reversed with a ram into the corner but Orton is fine enough to slap on a bodyscissors. Edge finally fights up again and makes the hot tag off to Jericho so the pace can pick up. The bulldog sets up the Lionsault but Batista moves, leaving Jericho to stick the landing. Batista’s spinebuster is countered into a sunset flip with Edge dropkicking him down for the two. Back up and Batista blasts Orton with the clothesline but manages to kick out of the Walls. Edge spears Batista, setting up the Lionsault for the pin.

Rating: B. Are these people capable of having a bad match at this point? You could mix and match these guys for months for good matches, which is exactly what they’ve done to some great results. Jericho vs. Batista and Edge vs. Orton (the latter of which is already set) for Vengeance sound fine for me.

Post match the announcers talk about how impressive was that Jericho overcame a concussion to win here. If he had one, he certainly didn’t act like it.

Video on Kane announcing that Lita’s baby is his, wrecking Matt Hardy’s marriage proposal in the process. That’s such a horrible move and I love it. Lita’s crying line of “but the baby might be yours” makes it even better.

Flair comes up to HHH and asks about Eugene being an honorary member of Evolution. Flair: “It’ll kill our gimmick brother!” HHH explains the whole idea by saying that his deal with Bischoff is simple: get rid of Eugene and get a title shot at Vengeance. Flair brings up the obvious: why not just beat Eugene up right now and be done with it? Apparently HHH is going to use Eugene’s talents to get the title back. Then he’ll give Eugene what he deserves.

Now that’s more like it. The scheme is making things more complicated than they need to be and HHH is looking like a maniacal villain. Imagine that: actually explaining a crazy idea and not leaving your audience scratching your heads and hoping they just don’t ask a bunch of questions that point out all the holes in your story. HHH’s plan is pretty stupid, but it makes sense to him and that’s all that matters.

Divas Search video, this time from New York. Again, almost none of them are named, though Michelle McCool is seen.

A crying Lita can’t get in touch with Matt. Stacy Keibler comes in and asks what’s wrong. My goodness this woman gets dumber every week. Lita was trying to do what was right and explains that Kane was going to keep hurting Matt until Lita did what he wanted. She’s not sure who the father is.

JR is in the ring to interview Kane, though this time the ring is at least surrounded by cops. You know, those guys with such great track records in wrestling. Kane gets right to the point: there’s no one that is going to stop him if he decides to go after JR again. JR shrugs that off and asks about Kane attacking Shawn Michaels last week. Shawn robbed him of the World Title and since Shawn got in his way, it was time to make him suffer.

As for Lita, Kane just wanted something that he never had. He wants an offspring that he can mold to continue his legacy. Kane took every precaution to make sure Lita would get pregnant. This way Kane gets everything that he wants, including the World Title tonight. Oh yeah that’s another thing Kane has going on right now. Then in eight months, he gets to be a father.

JR brings up the chance that Lita’s baby is Matt so violence is imminent, only to have Matt run in for the save. Bischoff has to tell security to break it up. Matt gets dragged away and Bischoff says the main event isn’t being ruined. Since it’s so unfair to Kane, we’ll change the rules a bit. Tonight, Benoit has to win by submission only but Kane can win by pinfall, submission, countout or DQ. Kane has another evil smile.

William Regal vs. HHH

This is Regal’s first match in over a year and Eugene is guest referee. HHH drives him into the corner to start so Regal takes over with a hammerlock. Regal kicks away on the mat like a true villain should but Eugene asking for a clean break allows HHH to get in a right hand. Back up and Regal slugs away with HHH doing a faceplant. An exploder suplex gets two but Flair throws in some brass knuckles. Regal clocks HHH and takes them away but Eugene disqualifies him before he can actually use the knuckles. Eugene: “You weren’t supposed to do that!”

Rating: D. The wrestling wasn’t the point here as it was more about the angle advancement, which is starting to make me wonder. Eugene is already starting to feel like he’s in over his head here and if this all ends with HHH getting a definitive pin over Eugene, it’s going to be a bad idea at the end of the day.

Post match HHH shoves Regal into Eugene, sending him into a rage with a beatdown on Regal. HHH and Flair calm things down and Regal is left laying.

Sgt. Slaughter/Rhyno vs. La Resistance

Non-title. This is the last show before the 4^th of July so it’s as good as we can get. Slaughter is looking very lean here compared to some of his recent appearances. Rhyno is ready to fight early on and shrugs off some Conway chops. A hard shoulder puts Conway down but Grenier gets in a cheap shot from behind.

Slaughter is drawn in so the double teaming can continue, which you would think he would see coming. A neckbreaker gets two on Rhyno and we hit the chinlock. Rhyno fights up and hits a belly to belly, allowing the how tag off to Slaughter for the house cleaning. The Cobra Clutch is broken up but Conway makes the save with a DDT. Rhyno gets shoved off the top and it’s Au Revoir to finish Slaughter.

Rating: D+. All things considered, this was just a step beneath a miracle. Slaughter’s annual appearances are rarely anything to see but this was a watchable match. Having it be non-title helped a bit too as hearing that the titles are on the line makes me roll my eyes and go “this again?” more often than not. This didn’t feel as annoying and the match being a bit better helped too.

HHH tries to calm Eugene down but then brings up Benoit hitting him in the head with a chair last week. Then Regal shoved him down, even though Eugene didn’t do anything wrong. Kane chokeslammed him too. They hurt him, but Evolution will never hurt him. As much as the plan is convoluted, HHH has been nailing the acting part and comes off as totally evil.

Diva Search. Some made it, some didn’t, one was Michelle McCool.

Vengeance rundown. Jericho vs. Batista is confirmed.

Coach and Bischoff are in the office for some exposition. Bischoff will be off next week and therefore we need a boss. Since, you know, WE MUST HAVE A BOSS! Coach won’t be in charge though because Eugene will be running the show. That actually has a lot of potential.

We look back at Benoit having to pin Kane instead of winning with the Crossface.

Smackdown Rebound featuring the Great American Bash. Haven’t we suffered enough?

Raw World Title: Kane vs. Chris Benoit

Benoit is defending and can only win by submission while Kane can win by any means. The referee holds the title upside down, which is a lot more annoying than it should be. Kane loses an early slugout so it’s time to start in on the knee. The Sharpshooter is kicked away of course but Kane misses the big elbow. Benoit can’t get the Crossface so Kane throws him over the top.

Back from a break with Benoit chopping away in the corner but getting hit in the face. They head outside with Kane posting him for a bonus. That gets nine on the floor and two in the ring as I wonder why Kane doesn’t just destroy Benoit with a chair. Benoit can’t win by DQ so Kane can’t get disqualified, so what’s stopping him? Benoit sends Kane face first into the steps and JR LOSES IT on Lawler for asking about Kane’s kid again. I haven’t heard him yell that loudly in a long time.

Back from another break with Kane holding a chinlock before kicking him in the face to cut off a comeback. The chokeslam is countered into the Crossface but Kane gets up and slams him down for the break. A Tombstone attempt is escaped and Benoit rolls the German suplexes. Benoit hits the flying headbutt and covers but the referee reminds him of the rules.

With Kane down, Benoit goes up again but has to counter a chokeslam by snapping the arm across the rope. Kane goes shoulder first into the post and the Crossface goes on again. The roll over doesn’t work as Benoit holds on, even with both of them on their backs. That actually looks even more painful than the regular version and Kane taps to retain Benoit’s title.

Rating: B-. And that’s that for Kane. I’m kind of surprised at the chemistry these two have together and the matches have been a nice showcase for Benoit. The story here was fine and Benoit was in trouble at times, but the Vengeance title match being announced made it rather clear that the title wasn’t changing hands. It’s ok to have a match with a pretty obvious ending at times though and that was the case here.

Post match Kane chokeslams Benoit but here’s a very smiley Lita. She hands the title to Kane and raises his hand before kicking him low. Kane shrugs it off and loads up a chokeslam but lets her go because of the baby. Benoit hits him with the belt and poses to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The wrestling was solid this week but I keep going back and forth on the HHH/Eugene thing. It goes against what made Eugene work but the bigger problem is it’s turned into a HHH story featuring Eugene than anything else. The performances have been very good though and the positives outweigh the negatives, which is more than you can expect in a lot of stories. It’s good for now, but I’m worried about where it might be going. The rest of the show was mostly good and nothing stood out as horrible, so I can definitely go with this after last night’s pay per view.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: November 28, 2018
Location: San Jose State University Event Center, San Jose, California
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Mauro Ranallo

It’s a special show this week as the talent was given a week off from tapings with this show filmed before Takeover: WarGames II. As usual, NXT knows how to set things up in advance and odds are we’ll have a good night of wrestling, even if we don’t have a lot of angle advancement to look forward to. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

The Mighty vs. Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan

Burch and Thorn start things off with Danny starting in on Thorn’s taped up shoulder. Lorcan comes in but gets dragged into the corner for the tag off to Miller. Lorcan is fine enough to slap on a half crab with Burch coming in for a Crossface on Thorn. The Mighty bail to the floor for a bit until Miller comes back in for a shot to Lorcan’s face. A rake to the eyes keeps him in trouble and we hit the chinlock. That lasts as long as the average chinlock but Lorcan’s comeback is cut off with an uppercut.

Thorn cranks on the neck until Lorcan fights up and makes the hot tag, allowing Burch to clean house. The elevated swinging neckbreaker is broken up and Thorn hits a hard dropkick to put Lorcan down. Lorcan is right back up with a half and half suplex, setting up a big dive over the top to take both of them down. Back in and Thorn gets out of something that looked like a Doomsday Device and Thunder Valley is loaded up. Burch tackles Miller though and Lorcan gets a sunset flip for the pin at 7:49.

Post match the Mighty jump them from behind and send them into the steps.

We look back at EC3 upsetting Adam Cole a few weeks ago, only to have the Undisputed Era lay him out, including a chair to the knee.

Still of Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler at Takeover: WarGames II with the other Four Horsewomen costing Sane her chance to get the title back.

Kairi Sane, Dakota Kai and Io Shirai aren’t done with Baszler, Maria Shafir and Jessamyn Duke. How about a six woman tag?

EC3 vs. Marcel Barthel

EC3 is looking especially fired up. Barthel shouts a lot so EC3 grabs a headlock early on. That’s driven into the corner and the break lets Barthel hit an enziguri to really take over. White Noise gives Barthel two and, of course, it’s off to the chinlock. EC3 pops up with right hands and an elbow to the jaw, followed by the 1%er for the pin at 4:07.

Rating: D+. Not much to this one but Barthel continues to be a good jobber to the stars with great intensity. It makes people who beat him look more important and that’s the right idea for something like this. EC3 continues to be in that weird place where he looks ready for the main roster and doesn’t have much going on down here, but he’s stuck waiting for the callup. At least he’s winning though.

Post match EC3 says he wants Bobby Fish for attacking his knee. He’s coming for Fish’s head, knees, and everything in between.

Donovan Dijak, now known as Dijakovic, is coming and looks like an MMA fighter.

Candice LeRae won’t answer questions.

Mia Yim vs. Vanessa Borne

Vanessa shakes her hand and slaps her face, sending Mia up to the next level early on. The early armbar sends Vanessa scrambling but she gets pulled back in, despite grabbing the ring skirt. That’s enough for her to get in a shot to the face though and Yim is in some trouble.

Borne hammers away in the corner and gets two off a swinging suplex, which the announcers call creative. That’s not exactly creative, and neither is the chinlock that follows. Yim’s armbar cuts off Borne’s momentum and a Tarantula keeps her in trouble. There’s a running dropkick into the corner, followed by a running big boot. Eat Defeat finishes Borne at 4:18.

Rating: C-. Borne is another good example of someone who can make others look good and doesn’t need to get a big win to stay over. She can win some smaller matches and use that capital to lose to others, as has been the case for years. Yim isn’t likely to get pushed towards the top of the division, but she could be fine as someone who gets an occasional house show title shot and has good matches with people on their way up the card.

Tommaso Ciampa talks to the title, saying about how he only needed one chance to show that he’s the best of all time. Next week, he and Goldie are coming to the ring and the NXT fans better follow his lead. That’s better than the cliched “give me the respect I deserve”.

Lars Sullivan vs. Keith Lee

They stare each other down to start and Sullivan powers him into the corner. Lee blocks a shot to the face and takes it back to the middle, only to be run over by a charge. A slam is broken up though and Lee gets one off a crossbody. Lee tries a slingshot but gets kicked out of the air, followed by a belly to back throw for one. Sullivan hits a middle rope headbutt for two more and it’s off to the big chinlock.

Some rams into the corner can’t keep Sullivan’s grip broken as he grabs Lee all over again. Lars misses a charge into the post though and Lee slugs away, including a slingshot crossbody for two. A clubbing shot to the head just gets a glare from Lee and the Pounce sends Sullivan all the way outside. That means the big dive for two back inside as the fans are way into these near falls. Lee’s middle rope moonsault misses and a good looking Freak Accident gives Lars the pin at 8:00.

Rating: B. This was a heck of a hoss fight with both guys beating the heck out of each other for a few minutes and just having a good time with the whole thing. Lee losing is fine as Sullivan is either done with NXT or just about to be gone to the main roster so it’s not like the loss hurts Lee all that much. Almost no one has been able to hang with Sullivan but Lee had him in trouble. That’s how you make him look good, which was the entire point here.

Overall Rating: C+. We can add this to the show that NXT knows how to pull off: the kind that means nothing but still has some entertaining stuff. There wasn’t much going on that is going to matter long term here, but they made it an entertaining fifty two minutes of wrestling anyway. That takes talent, and is the kind of thing that the main roster hasn’t shown the ability to pull off in a long time. Well done again, as usual.

Results

Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan b. The Mighty – Sunset flip to Miller

EC3 b. Marcel Barthel – 1%er

Mia Yim b. Vanessa Borne – Eat Defeat

Lars Sullivan b. Keith Lee – Freak Accident

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 28, 2018
Location: NEC Arena, Birmingham, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

You can always get something out of a guaranteed new champion and that’s what we have tonight. We’ve got the finals of the NXT UK Women’s Title tournament with Rhea Ripley facing off with Toni Storm for the title. After Storm won the Mae Young Classic, it would make sense to have Ripley get the title here but you never can guess what you might see. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of the tournament, which might have had more impact if it hadn’t taken place over the course of two weeks.

Opening sequence.

Joe Coffey vs. Sid Scala

Joe has his brother Mark and Wolfgang head to the back as he has this. Actually hang on as Scala is in a suit because still injured. He has a replacement though.

Joe Coffey vs. Tyler Bate

This works. Tyler slugs away to start and hits a knee to the face out of the corner. A dropkick sends Coffey to the floor for a suicide dive and Tyler hits a diving uppercut for good measure. Cue Mark and Wolfgang for a distraction though and Joe drives him into the apron to take over. Back in and Tyler can’t get the fireman’s carry as Joe slips off and headbutts him down. Joe even mocks the Moustache Mountain pose so you know it’s serious.

The swinging butterfly suplex has Bate in more trouble and it’s off to the nerve hold. That’s switched over to a crossarm choke but Bate eventually reverses into one of his own. Bate’s doesn’t last as long though as he gets caught in an overhead belly to belly for two more. Bate is too banged up to grab an exploder suplex so he settles for the standing shooting star instead.

With Joe in trouble, Mark gets up on the apron for a distraction so Joe can grab a powerslam for two. Cue a limping Trent Seven (What took him so long?) to help even things up a bit as Bate still can’t get a fireman’s carry. Joe misses a spinning high crossbody and Bate scores with a lariat. Now Bate can get the fireman’s carry into the airplane spin and even gets in the reverse version. The rolling Liger kick looks to set up the Tyler Driver 97, drawing in Mark and Wolfgang for the DQ at 9:47.

Rating: B. That was this close to being a great match but the finish kept them just a bit short. You can see the six man from here and that’s a fine way to go. Bate might not be as good as Dunne (But who is?) but he’s more than capable of having a very good match with just about anyone. Joe wasn’t bad either and this was a rather entertaining start to a big show.

Post match the brawl is on until Pete Dunne makes the save. Did we ever get an explanation for why Dunne is friends with Seven and Bate around here?

Dan Moloney vs. Ligero

The bigger Moloney puts Ligero on the apron to start but gets kicked in the face for one. Ligero gets out of a sitout powerbomb and another dropkick gets two more. Moloney’s spinebuster is good for one and it’s off to a seated abdominal stretch. Back up and some chops keep Ligero in trouble as the fans are singing something about Sin Cara. Ligero fights out of the corner and hits a top rope seated senton, followed by a springboard Sliced Bread for two. Moloney gets sent outside for the running flip dive, followed by a springboard tornado DDT to put Moloney away at 5:13.

Rating: C. Ligero isn’t anything that hasn’t been done better before but he’s fine for a role like this. You always have room for a good luchador and that’s what Ligero can do just fine. Moloney was just a guy here putting Ligero over and didn’t exactly show off all that much. That’s not a bad place to be either though as every promotion needs some long term jobbers.

Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan vs. Zack Gibson/James Drake

The fans are already taking their shoes off in protest of Gibson. Speaking of Gibson, he takes Williams down to start and then into the corner for the tag off to Drake. Williams has some more luck with him in the form of a springboard back elbow to the jaw. It’s off to Jordan, who throws Drake down and stops to dance, because that’s about all his character has going for him. Nigel and Vic get in an argument over Vic’s dancing abilities as Gibson comes back in for a double chop to the throat.

The chinlock goes on and now the fans are standing up because they hate Gibson so much. Seriously that’s an awesome status to have. Drake’s chinlock doesn’t last long and it’s back to Gibson to dodge some lame right hands. The chinlock goes on all over again as the fans sing about Gibson again.

Jordan can’t get anywhere on his comeback as Gibson takes him down with a leglock so Drake can come back in. Drake misses a charge in the corner though and that’s enough for a hot tag to Williams. A very quick faceplant gets two on Gibson and the good guys hit some dives. That’s about it for the offense though as Drake and Gibson shrug it off, setting up the Ticket to Ride to finish Williams at 8:26.

Rating: D+. Sweet goodness Jordan is worthless. He’s like the nothing jobber partner on an episode of Superstars when you have a jobber to the stars doing everything he can against a good team. Gibson has brought Drake up by sheer force of being a crazy over heel, and that can make for a nice team in a promotion that doesn’t have very many of them in the first place.

Johnny Saint brings out the new Women’s Title.

NXT UK Women’s Title: Rhea Ripley vs. Toni Storm

For the inaugural title. Storm wastes no time in slugging Ripley down into the corner for the running hip attack. Ripley falls to the floor and eats a suicide dive but another hip attack hits the barricade. They head to the apron and Storm Zero is countered with a backdrop, leaving Toni nearly in tears from the pain.

Back in and a hard whip keeps Toni in trouble, followed by the shoulders to the ribs. The fans are behind Storm, even as she gets caught in a bodyscissors to stay on the ribs and back. Ripley switches over to the standing Cloverleaf, sending Storm over to the ropes for the break. The back is fine enough to roll some German suplexes, followed by a headbutt into a bridging German suplex for two.

Rating: B. This was good stuff with Ripley getting to win clean in the end with her finisher instead of having the cheating finish to set up a rematch. They went with the right call here of having a definitive winner and that’s the way they should have gone here. Storm already has the bigger honor anyway and can come back to win a regular title later on.

Post match Saint and HHH present Ripley with her title.

Overall Rating: B+. The two big matches here were more than enough to make the card work well and the other two matches weren’t bad enough to bring the show down. This was a show they needed to do and the Women’s Title being won is a good stepping stone. They built it up as a big deal and it came off as a big deal. Now just build up some more names and see where they can go from here.

Results

Tyler Bate b. Joe Coffey via DQ when Mark Coffey and Wolfgang interfered

Ligero b. Dan Moloney – Springboard tornado DDT

Zack Gibson/James Drake b. Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams – Ticket to Ride to Williams

Rhea Ripley b. Toni Storm – Riptide

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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